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Marin Post
The public deserves to know costs of County pay raises for MAPE strikers
For
years, the County has said that they have to offer more in salaries and
benefits to "attract the best and the brightest". Cities, counties and
local agencies use this same refrain when demanding more of taxpayers.
It works well for public employees throughout the state and nation,
driving up salaries and leading to overly rich pensions and benefits.
It's
time to draw the line.
For starters, YES, the County should adopt a form of Civic Openness in Negotiations (COIN) as CSPP pushed for them to do. Our efforts were met with the usual blank stares.
Taxpayers have a
right to know each step in negotiations, since the tab will be theirs
to pay.
It
will take more than closed door talks to turn this around. Hopefully
more citizens will get involved in the effort to make pensions
sustainable, rather than the current $700 million debt, and help to turn
the ship before it sinks.
Supervisors were elected to represent us. Hold them accountable to do their job or ask them to leave.
I am posting this message below the online IJ article. Please leave comments there and on our Facebook page.
Many thanks to the Marin IJ for an excellent editorial. I hope those of you who are not current subscribers will consider becoming one. I firmly believe that local newspapers can be a potent vehicle in helping force needed change.